No Second Thoughts
by floodmaster16
Summary: Watching someone make sacrifices for you it's not something Mavis wanted. When given the choice, what would she do? Sacrifice something for the person that has sacrificed too much for her already, or let him do one last sacrifice? Story requestd by retro mania.
1. Prologue

"Do we have to talk about it now?" Mavis wondered, just loud enough for him to hear.

"If not now, then when? Mavis, it's been three years since we started dating! I'm not getting any younger every passing day, quite the opposite, in fact. At this rate, before we decide, I'm gonna be too old!"

"Stop using that argument, Johnathan!" the vampire woman seethed, the intensity of the conversation escalating way too fast.

"Why?! Because you know it's true?"

"Because it's not fair, okay?! It's not fair that you get to sacrifice your family, and your normal life, for me! Just… just leave it at that, ok?" with that, the vampiress turned into a bat and flew out the window before Johnathan could shut it close and stop her.

"Great. Drac is so gonna kill me" he muttered to himself, deciding to go outside and maybe look around for her. He, of course, wasn't going to find her, since she was out on the forest having a stroll. While people would normally be freaked out by the spooky scenery, Mavis was always fascinated by it and found it soothing, especially lately that she had been fighting over the same topic with Johnathan.

It's not like they didn't love each other. No, far from it. The couple was pretty much in love yet, but the topic of Johnathan's mortality was stretching their relationship thin. She really was concerned about it, and she really wanted to solve the issue, but not like _this_. Johnathan had already sacrificed most of his normal life for her. He had forfeited travelling freely, now having to plan everything down to the smallest detail to make sure she would be safe. He hadn't visited his family in months, after how bad most of them reacted. Sure, three of his brothers and all her sisters-in-law approved of her, but Johnathan hadn't taken it well, and decided to not go until all of them decided to change their minds. It made her feel crappy, thinking that maybe she had broken the family up. He had also given up even his sleep cycle! He now looked permanently tired, even when he insisted that he was not. Mavis was seriously wondering if she was a positive influence in his life, having caused a rift in his relationship with his family _and_ making him do big changes in his life that were not entirely positive… Mavis sighed, sitting on the cut trunk of a tree. She really needed to find a way to resolve this, and maybe even find a way to do it without _him_ doing any more sacrificing. She _wanted_ to sacrifice something for him, even if it was something meaningless.

* * *

"Here's your key, enjoy your stay, please" Count Dracula greeted as he handed over the key to the guest. The gill-man spoke gibberish and then left for his room, pulling his luggage along. The vampire sighed and relaxed, just as a familiar acrid smell hit him.

"Do you ever take a shower, or do you like the 'natural deterrence' factor?" he half-joked as he turned to face Johnathan.

"Come on, that's a low blow, especially from you Drac. Besides, Mavis likes me anyway, doesn't she?" hi ace almost fell on that last part, and Dracula could tell just fine.

"Which still boggles my mind. What's going on? Are you two in a fight again?" he cleverly deduced. Not like it was hard to, the couple had been in and out of fights for the best part of two months, and over the same topic. By now, Dracula had already listened to both sides of the conflict, but he hadn't done anything to help, and it was tiring him.

"Yeah. Drac, what am I gonna do? If I stay human, I'll shrivel and die. If I turn into vampire, Mavis will resent me and probably hate me the rest of our long, immortal lives. Either way, there's no right answer for me".

Dracula had grown fond of the id, and he really didn't want to see him suffer, so he discreetly motioned a zombie to cover the reception shift.

"Come with me, let's talk about this in private"

* * *

"Why is this topic such a sore spot for you two, Johnathan? From what I can gather, the answer to the problem is rather… simple, so to speak" the Count was choosing his words carefully, trying to keep secret the fact that he already knew both positions on the subject.

"That's exactly my point, Drac! It's an easy fix to a non-issue! Why is this such a problem? I mean… I've never seen Mavis so adamant about something. She's usually very reasonable, and now… I don't know what to do!", the youngster rubbed his face, the vivid image of worry. The vampire sighed and decided to cut the act.

"She does it because she thinks you've already sacrificed too much…"

"What?!"

"You heard me just fine. Johnathan… are you happy with this? With what you have given up to be with my daughter? As I understand, you've given up a hell of a lot to be here you are: your parents, your travelling plans… your whole life up to that point where you two met. You need to understand that Mavis doesn't want you making any more sacrifices, and it's quite understandable if you ask me. What about you?"

"That's just the thing, Drac! I don't care about the sacrifices! I love her, and I want to be with her no matter what! Why is that so bad for her?" Johnathan had actually started to cry lightly, maybe just out of all the frustration he had been feeling lately.

"Because nobody wants to bear the weight of watching a loved one give everything up for you, and this, right now, is a sacrifice that no one would ever dare to ask: giving up your mortality to live forever… is not a decision to be taken lightly. It's something that you two should talk seriously, and I'll admit that my daughter is not helping the case either. The best I can do for you both is put you in the same room and have you go out until you've reached an agreement. The rest is up to you two."

"Doing that will make her angry. I'll give her some time to cool it Drac. Maybe after that we can talk about it more seriously"

"I agree, my daughter does have her temperament, and this… it won't sit well with her right now. Why don't you go attend to your duties until she does? Maybe that will help you calm yourself too. In the meantime, I have a hotel to run. Look for me when you are ready to talk, alright?"

The older vampire stood and left, clapping the young man in the shoulder before disappearing from the room.

"Yeah, thanks" Johnathan last whispered before standing and leaving the room himself.

* * *

Mavis decided to go back, on foot, and normal walking speed, to think things over again, and maybe come up with another option. She was already near the bridge that connected the hotel with the mainland when she heard a familiar call for help.

"Johnny!?"

* * *

 _A minute earlier_

* * *

Johnathan was making a round through the hallways, one of the tasks that Mavis' father had delegated to him as an employee of the hotel. He had just finished attending to a guest's complaint, and he was frankly not feeling very well with everything at the moment. Which is exactly the reason why he forgot that Blobby had passed just where he was heading towards. The slippery goo made him lose his footing at the most inconvenient spot, as he was flung into the air and straight out of one of the hotel's window. Johnathan was able to hang on to the frame of the window, avoiding a nasty fall, but he was feeling tired of it very soon, since he wasn't a particularly strong person. He tried to get a better grip, partially succeeding, and started to do the only thing that made sense to him: yell for help.

* * *

Mavis turned into a bat in the blink of an eye and flew as fast she could. The distance was short, but time was of the essence. The girl swooped upwards, able to catch the boy by the neck of his shirt, and swiftly let go of him when he was safe up on the roof. He was shaken by the experience, but deeply grateful when he realized who had saved him.

"M-mavy…" he tried to speak, but his voice was still broken from nearly dying.

"Are you alright?" the concern in her voice was palpable, as she turned back into 'human' form and hugged him tight. Both their respirations were agitated, and when it dawned on them what could have happened, they both had different reactions: while she started to cry at the idea that she almost lost him, he laughed in a way that anyone would describe as "hysterical", and it made Mavis feel strange.

"Why are you laughing?! Do you know that you were about to die? It's not funny!" She was mad that he was not taking it seriously. She was wrong.

"I know. But you saved me. Even after… after making you so mad. I thought you would hate me." He had stopped laughing mid-sentence, his voice trailing off when he was finishing.

"You are crazy, you know that? I was mad at you, but I would _never_ hate you, and I would certainly not wish any of this upon you! Johnathan, I love you, even if we've hit a bump on the road. I can't imagine life without you anymore, so please, don't ever think that way, ok?"

They held each other tight, silently agreeing to give their disagreement a rest and instead focus on the fact that they still had and loved each other. They would eventually leave for their room (actually, Mavis' room, but it had un-officially become "theirs" months ago) to spend time with each other. No funny businesses, it was a serious thing they were going through at the moment, but Johnathan was contented with seating in a loveseat with his girlfriend sitting sideways in his lap, clinging to his shirt, and her head resting against his chest. It meant that it wasn't something insurmountable, what they were going through. It made him hope, that they could solve it before it could set them apart.

* * *

 **So... it's been way too long since I've done anything in here. It's not like I dont want to, but college is taking way too much of my time. This story was requested by retro mania... a week or two ago. Which shows how little time I've had lately. Anyways, with Hollow Memories hitting the bucket in some chapters, this story won't disrupt my already tardy updating rythm. I hope you like this, and please remember to leave a Review and feedback to help construct this story.  
**


	2. The ceasefire

**DISCLAIMER: Some parts of this chapter are a bit... explicit. You can skip it, but where's the fun in that?**

* * *

They had gone to sleep together, a dangerous proposition considering Mavis' father could walk in on them, but surprisingly enough, he didn't. Maybe he had guessed that they needed alone time to smooth their problems over, so he had decided to not bother them for the time being.

Mavis was the first to come back to reality, slowly shaking off the numbness of sleep, yawning lightly against Johnathan's chest. While she went through the process of waking up, she was able to listen and _feel_ his heartbeat. It was calm and alluring to her, at times hypnotic. As creature of the night, her heart didn't beat, since it served no real purpose to her biology, so she had always found his heartbeat an amazing and curious marvel. Not only that, but the warmness of his body, that was another incredible thing for her. Both these things made for a unique experience when she was with him. Cuddling became her favorite activity early into their relationship, because she got to enjoy both of these things in one go, and for as long as she wanted.

Then she remembered what they had argued about the night before.

It made her sad, to think about what her boyfriend was willing to give up. For her. She never had stopped to think about the long-term implications of their relationship, they had 'rolled with it' since the very first day, and it had been blissful all the way. Until they actually got to where they wanted things to go serious. Johnathan's humanity was the very first point they had had to discuss, and it soon turned into a bitter subject, always ending with them getting mad at each other and giving the other the silent treatment. That behavior had lasted for at least a couple of months now, and the couple was becoming used to being annoyed or downright mad at each other, and that wasn't boding well for them. But Mavis wasn't very concerned about it at the moment. She loved Johnathan, very deeply, and she was getting tired of all the fighting they had been doing lately, so she decided then and there that they would not touch the subject at least for that night. She wanted to spend a night without a frown in her face, a night where none of them were mad or annoyed at each other. She wanted them to remember the love they felt for each other, and fighting wasn't the way to achieve that.

The young man began to stir slowly while waking from his slumber, groaning lightly when he felt an alien weight on his chest. As he fully regained consciousness he remembered that it was Mavis laying on top of him, so he avoided any sudden moves that could send the wrong message.

"Good morning, beautiful" he said softly to her, kissing the top of her head affectionately and tightening his embrace on her a little bit. Mavis giggled softly to herself, and cuddled as close as she could to him.

"You mean to say good night, handsome?" she retorted while she closed her eyes. The moment was so delightful that she almost regretted that they would have to get up at some point to get some breakfast.

"Yeah, sorry, I still get it wrong sometimes. How are you feeling?"

"Happy. Blissful. Comfortable. Can we stay like this for a while? It's been too long since… we've had moments to ourselves" her voice nearly broke at the second part of her sentence, briefly clutching his shirt in her left hand.

"I know… I'm… I'm really sorry Mavis. I've been so careless about everything… I knew the subject upsets you and I still pressed on with it. I feel so crappy about that… I should be doing my best to make you happy, and instead…"

The girl used her index to silence him gently, already upset about how he was feeling guilty because of her. Maybe she had been reacting poorly to the subject, but she hadn't just realized how much her attitude had made Johnny feel guilty. Just another strike to the list of negative things she had done to him.

"Could we please just… shelf the issue for now? Just… enjoy a night on each other's company? I'm tired of arguing and fighting, Johnny. I love you, and with everything that's happened… I don't want you to hate me" she hid her face against his chest, hiding her shame and fear from her boyfriend.

"What?! Mavis have you gone crazy? I could _never_ hate you! I love you, more than you would ever imagine! I wouldn't hate you just because we've been arguing. Couples can have disagreements, it's normal, we just need to… sort it out. And I know we can. But yeah, I would like a night for ourselves. It's been… forever since we've been on our own."

"Yeah. So… can we? No more fighting?"

"Yeah. No more fighting, Mavy"

* * *

Count Dracula was pleasantly surprised when he arrived into the dining room and saw the young couple having breakfast together and talking pleasantly. He was about to get closer when he saw Johnathan get up to get some more food from the buffet, then seeing his daughter sigh thoughtfully. So it wasn't settled yet.

He used the moment to swiftly, yet discreetly, move closer to her.

"Hi, dad" she tried to sound upbeat, but the hint of sadness was still present on her voice.

"Good night, my sweet Mavy Wavy…"

"Dad! I'm 121! You don't have to baby me anymore" she responded, slightly ashamed by the vampire's overbearingness.

"Ok, I'm sorry, Mavy. How are you tonight? It's been long since I've seen you too down here together, is everything ok?"

"Yeah, we are fine, dad. We've put the fighting on hold for the moment. Although…"

"Although?"

"What am I gonna do, dad? I know what's going to happen to Johnny if we don't do something about his mortality. But…" she sighed, once again distressed by the matter. Before she could go any further, her father put his hand on her shoulder, an act that helped her relax just enough to not start tearing her hair off.

"I know, sweetheart. Tell you what, I'll do my best to come up with a solution that can satisfy you both, but promise me one thing"

"What would that be, dad?"

"That you'll stop stressing over the argument and go back to loving your Zing. His life is short, Mavy, and wasting time arguing will make you feel guilty when times is up. I promise I'll come up with something, but just promise this to me. Please?"

The girl looked up at him, with a mix of hope and sadness, and for a moment he thought she would refuse.

"You really think you will find a way, dad?"

"I know I will" he answered confidently. After all, he _was_ Count Dracula, wasn't he?

"Ok, dad. I promise" with swift speed, she was up and hugging her father tightly, the older vampire returning the hug without hesitation. Before Johnathan came back, the Count left so his daughter could make good of her promise, while he would make good of his.

* * *

The woman looked around the lobby, a hidden modicum of revulsion festering inside her.

 _This is humiliating. I'm a black sorceress, why do I have to stay in a sissy-ass hotel?_

It was a etheric question, of course she knew the answer.

Some idiot had blown the whistle on her to the people that lived near of her old home. She soon had found her home constantly spied by curious onlookers and Peeping Toms, which made her work all the more dangerous to carry out. She had more pressing concerns than to be the circus act of stupid humans. And then, some stupid monster hunter had showed up, setting her home, her laboratory, and the work of her (immortal) life, on fire. The wretch was so proud of itself and his stupid actions that he had gloated it all to the locals. Luckily, she could pass as a normal human just fine, so she was able to mingle with the people while she looked for a solution to her problem. Watching the hunter bragging was something that infuriated her, but payback had been so sweet. The bastard was now six feet under, and she was sure the process to get there had been very, very painful.

After travelling far and wide, looking for a place to hide, she had found out this place, Hotel Transylvania, that was supposed to be incredibly safe and away from humans. It was far from what she wanted, but if it meant a safe environment, she would put up with it for a while. She headed for what she supposed was the place's check-in desk, manned by what she would later confirm to be the dumbest and most useless zombies she had seen in existence. After what seemed to be like ages, she got a key to a room and was on her way, not without fuming and muttering all the way there.

Room 170.

At least the place wasn't as human-looking as she expected, suiting her style. Yet, somehow, she could whiff out the trace amounts of a human being in the vicinity. In a place that prided itself to be safe from human attackers, that was unthinkable. She would investigate later, after resting up and regaining her energies.

* * *

This was _long_ overdue.

Johnathan willed the flying table to go faster, lest he lost the race, and have to endure a whole load of "I won" from his girlfriend. He looked around, but, somehow, the girl had disappeared from his sight. Before he could wonder where she had gone, her face appeared upside-down in front of him, sealing her lips on his and momentarily stunning him. The kiss ended almost as abruptly as it started, with Mavis winking at him as she sped away, leaving him behind and single-handedly winning the race, much to Johnathan's disgrace.

"That was low, Mavis!" he whined as soon as he leveled his table with hers. Mavis sat comfortably with her legs outstretched, softly giggling at having won by what was, admittedly, not a very ethical move. Johnathan just huffed and crossed his arms in front of his chest. Dracula's daughter rolled her eyes good-naturedly, and signaled for him to come closer with her right index. While the young man was still upset over losing the race, he couldn't just say ' _No'_ , Specially not when she looked _so beautiful_ in the moonlight. He brought the table closer to hers, and got surprised by her jumping on top of him and pinning his form against the table.

"You are such a _sore_ loser" she softly told him, bringing their faces closer. Needless to say, he was quite nervous about the possibility of Count Dracula flying in on them in this situation, but Mavis' scent was intoxicating, and the closeness was already giving him some very dirty ideas. _I want her so bad…_

So he let go of his worries in that moment, giving in to the pure lust both of them were feeling. The kiss was passionate, deep, and turned into a making-up session that was getting very heated by the second. She was a kissing machine, and he had to struggle to keep up and not suffocate by the lack of air in his lungs. Between gasps and deep breaths, she allowed him some breathing room, only to avoid having the moment broken by such inconveniences, but she found him moving downwards from her lips down to her neck, where she could feel his warm breath clashing against her cold skin, and his lips running along her sensitive neck, quickly making her feel a sensation she was familiar with, but hadn't had much, if any, of in the last months. He had now moved on top of her, 'pinning' her in the same place she had done the same to him, but they both knew it was a ridiculous arrangement. Mavis could easily just push him off of her if she wanted, but she really, _really_ didn't want to do so. It was, however, when his hands were travelling upwards from her hips -and bellow her current clothing- that she did actually stop him.

"Wait! Stop!" she softly commanded, her breath now extremely jagged.

"What's the matter? Did I do something wrong? Did I hurt you?" he asked with worry, looking at her for an answer.

"No, no, it's just… not here! Can we… go somewhere private?" she asked, not letting him separate too much from her.

Yes, of course they could go somewhere more private.

* * *

 _Oh, for ghoul's sake!_

The sorceress awoke, the racket in the room across from hers was barely audible to most of the hotel, but her dabbling on with dark magic had left her with intermittent hyper-awareness and enhanced senses, a course that she would never stop complaining about. Specially at times like these.

"What is that dreadful noise?" she muttered, as she tried to focus on solving her own question, listening to what was going on, but quickly regretting it, "Oh, damn, they are matting!"

Just her fucking luck. But there was that human smell again, and it was… coming from the room? And there was another one, but this one wasn't as easy to discern. _A monster mating with a human?!_ It was ridiculous! Unheard of in this time and age! A travesty, to say the least. Besides, why would any monster, superior in every aspect to any human, want to pursue carnal pleasure with such lowly creatures?

Now she was interested. It was strange, and she could very well find a way to exploit the situation to her benefit. In the meantime, she would have to find a way to cancel out the noise to be able to sleep.

 _Must be both young, they are going at it as if the world is going to end today._

* * *

He was covered in sweat, and he felt a little uncomfortable having her lying against him in this state, but she didn't seem to mind at all. Their breathing steadied in a few minutes, time which they spent in silence, still in a daze about what they had just done.

"Are you ok?" Johnathan asked her, trying to look down towards Mavis, of whom he could only see the top of her head.

"Yeah, I'm… ok. It was… great" she answered, while her eyes remained shut from the bliss. She was, admittedly, feeling a little tired, and sunrise could not be too far away.

"Yeah… it's been long since we… you know…"

"Yeah. I guess all that fighting doesn't really set the mood for… intimacy. Does it?"

"Hardly. Although having your dad in the same building is not very romantic, either" he half-joked, the dread of having the Count walk-in on them now coming back to him. Mavis just giggled softly, not too concerned about it. If needed be, she could keep his neck safe all by herself. But she really did hope it didn't come to that.

"You are kind of a wimp" she joked to the boy who huffed at the remark.

"And yet you love me. What does that make you, young lady?"

"It makes me a dummy in love. Still better than a wimp"

"Why do you say things that hurt me?" he faked sadness, all the while he kept a satisfied smile I his face. Life couldn't get any better than this any time soon.

Mavis sighed happily, now bringing her face closer to his once more.

"Ok, maybe I was a little bit mean. I can make it up to you, if you want"

"I would love to. But sun is almost coming up and your dad will expect you to be in your room. Maybe we can arrange something for later?" he suggested, regretting that they had to give it up just yet.

"Fine I'm taking a shower before I go, though" Mavis announced, getting out of bed… with no clothing on her form. _Don't stare at her. Whatever you do don't stare at her…_ But she was his girlfriend, he couldn't avoid it, and it was plainly obvious that it was what she wanted, "are you coming too?"

 _God, I love this woman…_

* * *

 **Long time, no update. At least in this story. Anyways, I hope you liked this chapter (don't get funny ideas with Mavis, guys), and, as usual, please lave comments and feedback on the Reviews section, it's a good way to thank the stories' authors. Read you later.**


	3. Decisions, Decisions

"Mom, I don't get what's so important that I have to go home right now! Why can't you just tell me?" Johnathan frowned at the cellphone, while with his free hand he tried to put his pants on. He could faintly hear the rustle of a towel inside his bathroom, with the full knowledge of who was inside.

His mother had called not two minutes ago, and at first he seemed surprised of it, only for his face to change into one of mild consternation.

"A-are you sure? But… I spoke to him just last week, that just can't be!" he paused for a second, listening to the other person on the line, "I can't… I just… Mom, I can't just up and leave at a moment's… yeah, I know! I love him too, but…" he was frustrated, but gave a deep sigh and then relented, "fine, fine! I'll… check if I can make it over there soon… I don't know, mom, maybe tomorrow, if sooner I'll call you, ok?"

With a final sigh he cut the line and rubbed his hand over his face, uttering a low "fuck" that Mavis barely heard.

"Johnny? Are you ok?" she asked, now fully dried up and dressed, sitting by his side on the bed.

"My dad… he... uhm… he's really sick…"

"Oh, Johnny… I'm…" Mavis' mood tanked as much as his. She had met Mike Loughran before, and while the family in general had been quite mixed in their feelings toward her, Mike had been very friendly, borderline fatherly, to her. The burly man had been Mavis' greatest surprise of the lot, with his warmness and friendly demeanor, and he had taken a liking to him. To hear that he was very ill was a blow that the vampire girl had not been ready to receive, "what… is there anything we can do?"

"Mom wants me to go back, to see him and give him moral support. She says that the worst has already passed, he was at the hospital the whole week before… God, I feel like a scumbag!"

"It's not your fault! You didn't now! Honey, don't punish yourself, it wasn't on your control. You know I love your dad, but nobody told you anything, you couldn't possibly know how bad he was. If you can… you should go. He'll be happy to see you I'm sure of that."

"Come with me" he asked, almost instinctively. In this harsh moment of his life he wanted the emotional strength that Mavis gave him, and didn't want to be separated from her this entire time.

"No" her answer almost made him gasp loudly, but she steadied him with her hand to his shoulder, "you know your family isn't still 100% on board with our relationship, and I don't want you fighting with them when you should be with your dad."

"Yeah, I guess so… I'll miss you, you know?" he sadly said to her. Her heart was moved by how romantic he could be without trying, and locked her lips with his.

"I'll miss you too. Do you promise to call every night?" she asked, hopeful, giving him a pouty-bat face that could melt his heart in seconds.

"Of course I will, Mavy" before his turn to kiss her.

* * *

The next day came soon enough. Mavis was helping Johnathan pack his backpack for the trip, and it seemed like, as usual, the young man was over-packing.

"Johnny, you don't have to take all of this, you'll be coming back in a week, and I'm sure your mom has clothes for you over there. Clean, hopefully…" she cringed a bit at the unpleasant smell that wafted from some of his clothing.

"Sorry" he sheepishly apologized, as he agreed with her and started to unpack anything he wouldn't absolutely need. When he pulled one of his dirty shirts, a small leathery box came crashing down. Mavis leaned and picked it up swiftly, looking at it inquisitively.

"What's this, Johnny?" she asked the redhead, who diverted his attention to the object in her hand.

"I hadn't seen this in a while. My dad… he gave it to me when I decided to travel" he opened the case and produced a shiny, old-fashioned compass. It was more of an heirloom than a useful piece of gear, but Johnathan had kept it to remember his first home. It took a lot more meaning now, thanks to the matter at hand.

"It's beautiful. Must have costed him a lot of money" she observed, still entranced by the item.

"Probably… and you know what? I want you to have it" he proclaimed. The shock of the statement brought her back to reality, and faced him with an open mouth.

"But… this is yours… it's special… not to mention expensive…"

"I know, and I want you to keep it, now. Think of it as a small piece of the love I feel for you"

If Mavis was able to blush, she would be veet-red at that very same moment.

"Oh, Johnny!… I don't need this for that. I know you love me, and you know I love you. I think last night… proved that very well" her tone turned mischievous for a second, as she hugged his neck and brought him closer for a brief, but oh-so-romantic kiss. If Count Dracula was there to see it, he would be very, very annoyed, to say the least.

"Still," he continued after the kiss was broken, "I want you to keep it. So you know that I'll come back to you."

Mavis just sighed and relented, accepting the gift and keeping it inside its case.

"Fine, I'll hang on to it until you come back. Now be done packing, or you'll be late for your flight" she finally added, pecking him in the cheek and leaving to store the case in her closet.

* * *

The ride to the airport was uneventful, it was the good-byes that he hadn't been able to handle that well. While everyone had tried to keep a straight face, Mavis hadn't really been able to for long. She had broken into silent sobs and had hugged him a bit too tightly, obviously regretting having talked him into the travelling. He had promised to come back as soon as possible, and she had quietly shaken her head affirmative against his shoulder. He could still feel the humidity of her tears in the fingers he used to wipe them off her face. The promise of coming back and a quick kiss in the lips was made before he was able to leave without her weeping more than necessary, and he could only see Count Dracula comforting Mavis, as she leaned on him to be brought onto a hug.

"Man, this sucks so much…" he whispered to himself, as he ran a hand over his face and let out a sigh. This would be a very long week.

* * *

Johnathan had been gone for full two hours, and Mavis was already feeling like it had been months. She sat on her own in the lobby, which was sparsely populated at the moment, looking pretty miserable.

There was guilt in her mind, now. She had wished Johnathan to just sit the problem out, let Mike just get better on his own, and she now felt so miserable for even daring to think of that. She had gotten so used to him sacrificing anything for her that she was now thinking of _actively_ asking for him to do it. Just when she had complained about him _not_ doing any more of that. She was turning into something she didn't want to be.

 _Why?! I don't want to be a damned hypocrite!_

She sighed heavily, and laid back on her seat, rubbing her forehead. The week can't go by fast enough.

* * *

 _Ah, there she is._

The pitch of the girl's voice was the right one… now that she had actually heard her speak, and not… _ugh._

There must be something that she could offer. Something that would tempt her beyond reason.

Something to reel her in.

And maybe it wasn't hard to find out. She was depressed, that much was clear. She was vulnerable. She could probe her for information.

And then she could take anything worthwhile from her. Anything.

* * *

"You seem to be troubled", Mavis nearly jumped at the foreign voice that seemed to call her, and quickly spun to face the stranger. She was a woman, looking around mid-thirties to early-forties, dressed in what Mavis could describe as a 'casual but classy' outfit: a burgundy dress on which the skirt ended about ten centimeters below the knees, with no sleeves, and a modest cleavage which didn't give out much of anything (Mavis would have forgiven if it had, the woman's breasts were plentiful). She could see a man falling for her any time of the week.

"I… uhm… it's personal" she lamely answered, feeling a little put down by such an imposing figure.

"Sorry if I come across as awkward, it's not my intention. I just wonder what could possibly bother you. You are Count Dracula's daughter, aren't you?" the woman asked, sitting across from her.

"Well, yeah… how do you know?" Mavis asked curiously. She was 100% sure there was no way…

"Tabloids and magazines. You and your father are really famous, even if nobody has been able to get two words out of you. Sorry, where are my manners? I'm Minerva" she extended her hand to the young vampiress, who reluctantly accepted and shook it.

"Mavis, as you already know. Are you staying for a while in the hotel?"

"Yeah, considering I kindda lost my home to monster hunters…" she grimly answered, her smile only faltering for a second.

"Oh… I'm sorry. It was… so insensitive of me…"

"it's ok, at least I didn't go up I flames with it. I noticed the hints of human activity in the Hotel, though. You wouldn't know anything about that, would you?" she suggested in a lightly mischievous way that made Mavis' face show a light shade of pink.

"Yeah…. Uhm… I don't know how to put it, but… my boyfriend is... well… a human"

 _Yeah, already noticed… but maybe that's my angle._

"Oh… well… that's… something we haven't see in many decades, you know? Last time it happened, the human prospect had to choose between becoming a monster or remaining human"

"And what happened? What did the human choose?" Mavis asked, her curiosity picked by the devious woman.

"She decided to turn. I hope she never regretted her choice" the dark sorceress answered coolly. She was, of course, skipping some other parts of the story.

"How do you know all this?" Mavis wondered aloud, her tone suggesting that she wanted to know everything

"I turned her. She and her… boyfriend, as you put it, contacted me and practically begged for it. But, like I told you, it was a couple of centuries ago I'm hardly on my prime anymore"

But Mavis was barely listening to her anymore. The cogs on her mind had begun to spin, and now she could see an opportunity.

"Do you think… you could do it the other way around? Turn a monster into a human?" she asked, hoping for an answer that satisfied her.

 _Ah, young love. Makes people stupid and careless. Just like I like them._

"I… never tried it. But I know where you are going, and the answer is absolutely no. It's way too dangerous, and why would you want to turn into such… a limited species? You have all these centuries ahead of you…"

"I have my reasons. Please? There must be something you want that I can give in exchange Anything!"

"I… no! It's dangerous! I don't think you are fully aware of the implications! And frankly, I can't do it anymore or at least I don't think I can… I'm sorry…"

"Please… just try? I would give anything for it…"

 _I'm sure you would, poor naïve girl. This will be fun._

* * *

 **Three days later**

* * *

" _Morning, beautiful_ " Johnathan said through the phone, Mavis recognizing the voice in an instant.

"Morning over there, probably. How is your dad doing, Johnny? Is he still very ill?" the vampiress asked, concern creeping in her voice. They had talked for small amounts of time, twenty or thirty minutes at most, every day, but she hadn't asked about his dad, and she felt it would be appropriate to do so at the moment.

"He's fine, the worst is over, we are just taking care of him so he can make his recovery faster. I'll let you speak to him before I go back, okay? He's still a bit tired at times, but the doctors said it would go away as he recovered."

"I guess that's ok. I'm so glad he's fine. How have you been doing? I can't even imagine how hard this must be on you…" she mused, sitting in her bed to be more comfortable during the conversation

"I was scared at first when I came in here, I thought it was going to be a disaster, and that he would be in worse shape. After seeing him I kindda relaxed. He wasn't really fine, but he was better than I expected, so you know me, I'm rolling with it" something about the calmness of his voice convinced her, and she relaxed herself some too. They kept talking about some stuff here and there, but eventually they had to hang up. After exchanging 'I love you's, the line went silent and they both carried on with their day. Mavis now laid on her bed and looked straight at the ceiling. The prospect of being able to be turned into a human, to sacrifice something for him instead of him doing so again, was haunting her. Could she really do it? Would she give up her immortal life for him?

 _Yeah, I would._

Living forever wasn't worth it if she had to live without her Zing. Even if just for a few years, she wanted to share an actual, normal life with him. Grow old together, and… when the time came… then maybe leave this world together. If this Minerva woman could do just that for her, then it was worth a shot for her.

* * *

 _She'll come._

The sorceress was delighted at the thought. She had seen the girl from afar a couple of times since their conversation, and whenever she wasn't distracted she would look like she was thinking about something really hard. It wasn't hard to figure out about what.

 _Young love makes them do stupid stuff, and that's what I want. She would really give anything for this… pitiful human. Oh, isn't this gonna be fun…_

She didn't find pleasure in actually hurting anyone, at least not physically (unless they were that hunter that drove her out of their home. Oh, she had enjoyed hat moment!), but the idea of what she would con Dracula's daughter out off send a thrill through her body.

Turning her wouldn't be a problem, she was capable of so much more with too little effort. She could pretend to get tired after the fact, just to keep appearances. After that, she could do whatever she wanted.

* * *

Reluctantly, Mavis knocked on Minerva's door, waiting a few seconds until she heard the distinctive voice of the woman telling her to hold a sec. The door opened before she could regret her choice, and the imposing woman looked straight at her.

"Hi, Mavis. What are you doing here?"

"I… thought about it, what we talked about the other day. I want to do it." Mavis declared, tying to sound confident, but with a voice that at times broke for a millisecond.

"Mavis… I already told you… I'm not sure I can!" Minerva answered, faking worry.

"I want to try. Even if you fail, I want to at least have tried. I'll give you anything you want" Mavis begged to her, probably about to kneel in front of the woman.

"Fine, fine! I'll…. Give it a shot, alright? But not here, and not right now. Can you meet me in the roof in an hour?" she nearly whispered, lowering her voice so no one could eavesdrop on their conversation.

"Yeah… but... uhm… what is it that you… want in exchange for this?" Mavis cautiously asked, nearly forgetting something really important.

"We can talk about that later. Do you want to do this or not?"

"Yes! I'll see you on the roof"

The older woman went back inside, not before looking around for uninvited listeners, and Mavis went back up the hallway to head for her room, feeling a sense of dread in the pit of her stomach. Was it right to do this impulsive act, without even discussing it with anyone? Her father would have a fit after this…

 _Dad…_

She hadn't thought about him. The man that loved her probably a bit more than Johnny, who raised her since she was a baby… the man that would have to bury his daughter when she was gone…

And now she was feeling terrified. Her decision was going to open a deep wound in her family. And what would Johnathan think? About her going behind his back…

He would still love her, she was sure, but he would be so mad… At least he had talked to her about turning, she hadn't even mentioned it over the phone.

 _This is such a bad idea…_

But there was no turning back now.

* * *

 **So, I was finally able to update. So much to do, and so little time to get it done, I have to manage my time pretty well, so please bear with me. As usual, please leave a review, I appreciate them , and I'll see you next update.  
**


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